Twice as Nice: Complementary Beauty Products That Love Working Together
By Gigi Anders
Some products are stand-alones – eye cream, body lotion, masks. You can use them any old time on their own and be done.
Others, however, work best in tandem. That’s what we’re focusing on today, particularly during this transitional period from summer to autumn.
Nyakio Kenyan Coffee Face Polish ($32) and Kenyan Coffee Body Scrub ($35). Human life began in Africa, so it follows we return to that source for beauty secrets with cultural traditions and indigenous ingredients. During Kenyan summers with her coffee farmer grandmother and herb-healer grandfather, first generation American Nyakio Kamoche Grieco got inspired. Her family’s heritage in healing and truly natural beauty – all products are sulfate-, phthalate-, paraben-, mineral oil-, petrolatum-, formaldehyde-, and butylene glycol-free -- made her want to share it with the rest of the world. Nyakio’s eponymous line of skin care products works on every skin type and once you try it you won’t go back. One thing I will tell you. The stuff itself is not what you’re used to seeing. It’s gloppy. It’s messy. It’s brown. It’s *really* brown. So use in the shower for sure. But get past those things, and your post-summer rough skin will thank you, thank you, thank you. The long and exotic list of face polish ingredients are: Organic shea butter, apricot seed powder, jojoba esters, caramel, aloe leaf juice, orange peel extract, coffee extract, sage leaf extract , nettle leaf extract, chamomile flower extract, cocoa pod ash, calendelilla wax, and an essential oil blend for fragrance. Wet your face and have at it, avoiding the eye area. Your face will feel smooth as glass but totally hydrated. It’s amazing.
As for the body scrub, massage it into dry places – elbows, knees, ankles and feet, especially. Once you rinse, you’ll feel as seduced as Meryl in this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMqgEA1liZc
The combination of sugar, castor seed oil, safflower seed oil, coffee seed powder, sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil, grapefruit peel oil, avocado oil, mongongo seed oil, baobab oil, coffee extract, and tamarind extract will have you seeing visions of a young Robert Redford stroking you.
Philosophy Take a Deep Breath Oil-Free Oxygenating Gel Cream ($14 - $37) and Take a Deep Breath Night Oil-Free Detoxifying Gel-Balm ($45). For those with oily, acne-prone, or sensitive skin, this new duo has you covered 24/7. The former is for daytime use (don’t forget to apply an SPF over it). Its exclusive “clean-air technologyTM,” means skin receives the oxygen delivery it needs to breathe freely, while a patented blend of antioxidants and anti-pollutants helps neutralize damaging free radicals. It smells heavenly, too. My skin felt strong, fresh, radiant, and calm – with zero oil slicks. Like its sib, the P.M. version is weightless and oil-free, but this one’s formulated with provitamin p and energy-boosting amino acids to help revitalize skin's appearance as you sleep. Its natural yeast extract -- an antioxidant/anti-pollution complex -- helps support skin's natural nighttime detoxification process. It also hydrates like crazy, but with water, not oil. I woke up to bright, happy, clear skin. And so will you.
Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer Pumps in Fair to Medium Skin Tones and Medium to Tan Skin Tones ($11.99 each). In 2014, I wrote an extensive, detailed how-to on self-tanning your legs. What I’ve since learned – and I am the queen of knowledge on this subject – is that mixing these two formulations 50-50 = the best, most believable tan you’ve ever seen in your life (and note that the price has not gone up in the intervening period). Everybody knows Jergens self-tanners rule. What’s new is my scientific/aesthetic color discovery as well as the pump -- and you know I live for the pump. You don’t have to hold the entire container with your about-to-be self-tanned hands, and the pump situation makes it a breeze. We’ve still got a whole week left of summer and just because the calendar says it’s fall in seven days doesn’t mean the warm weather will suddenly stop. You’ll still want to wear dresses and skirts to show off your fabulous, pantyhose-free fake baked stems. This is how to do it.
